New York City drew a record-setting 48.7 million visitors last year, marking a 6.8% increase from 2009 and the strongest signal yet that the tourism industry is rebounding from the downturn caused by the global recession, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday.

Preliminary records show the tourism growth is fueled, in part, by a record number of international visitors flocking to the five boroughs. In 2010, 9.7 million international visitors spent time in the city, which is an increase of almost 13% from the previous year.

“We are glad to extend our hospitality to every visitor,” Bloomberg said at a news conference at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. “But we certainly love international visitors because they spend, on average, 3 ½ times what domestic visitors do.”

New York City is the destination for roughly one third of overseas visitors to the U.S., making the city “by far” the most popular overseas destination in the country, Bloomberg said. Miami and Los Angeles, by comparison, were tied as the second most popular destination for international visitors, each attracting about 11% of the market share.

The preliminary numbers represent a turnaround for the tourism industry in New York City, which has suffered recently because of the dramatic downturn in the economy. In 2009, the number of tourists declined 2.9%, to 45.6 million, and visitor spending plunged 9%, to $28.2 billion, compared with 2008.

In 2010, the city projects tourists spent $31 billion in the city, a nearly 10% jump from 2009. A major part of that increase, officials said, is fueled by the city’s arts and culture scene.

So far this season, Broadway attendance is above 7.55 million, up 3.8% from this point last season.

Attendance at museums and cultural institutions — generating $18 billion in annual tourism spending — increased 5% last year. The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art both set new attendance records last year.

“The strength of our tourism industry is one of the reasons New York City was less impacted by the national recession than other cities, and it continues to be one of the reasons we’re growing faster than other cities,” Bloomberg said.

Officials said the city remains on pace to meet its goal of attracting 50 million annual visitors by 2012.

To better attract international visitors, the city has created a network of 18 international offices that allow officials to promote New York as a destination. In recent years, the city spent money on outdoor media in countries such as Italy, Spain and Brazil.

“When the national recession hit, many worried if New York City could attract visitors in the numbers it had become used to,” said Robert Steel, deputy mayor for economic development. “We’ve put in place a series of global marketing programs to showcase New York City and attract visitors, and it’s clear that those efforts continue to pay off.”

For the mayor, the record-breaking tourism numbers couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. New Yorkers have spent the past week heaping criticism on the Bloomberg administration for the city’s sluggish response to a major snow storm that left many of streets impassable for days and endangered lives.

Bloomberg dismissed the notion that the enormous media coverage surrounding the city’s inadequate response to the snowstorm will have any impact on tourism. “Most of these people, remember, from around the world, around the country, come from cities — they have problems, so they’re understanding.”

When most visitors think about New York City, they picture Manhattan’s famous skyline or Broadway or the shops on Fifth Avenue. But at the tourism event Tuesday Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz boasted that his borough is a popular destination as well. Engaging in some friendly borough rivalry, he heralded Coney Island, the new Brooklyn Bridge Park and the borough’s diverse neighborhoods as key attractions.

“I know it’s easy to get caught up in all that Brooklyn has to offer,” said Markowitz as a smile spread across his face, “but spare a though for our brethren across the river: Remember Manhattan is still perfect for a day trip!”